Chapter 10: 10. Memories
After getting dressed, Jack and Mike took a Mana Cab to their location. It was a massive stadium that outshone all of the biggest stadiums built before the Descent. Every year, the best of humanity, and those rising through the ranks, would fight in this arena using all the skills they had and people watched for entertainment. Of course, killing was frowned upon but with a few healers that could resurrect people nearby then it wasn't a massive deal. It was actually one of the best time for people to watch those with combat classes fight as if they saw them fight any other time it would be if the Abyssal beasts made their way into Bastion.
"The Government has allowed me to use some of the training facilities to train you, perks of being me. Though only once a week which sucks. They barely use it anyway its not like we will reck the place." Mike said as he scoffed.
Massive metallic doors loomed ahead as Mike scanned his key card and ushered Jack through, The arena's interior was a mix of cutting-edge technology and sleek design, designed to maximize both spectacle and safety for both the Manifestors fighting and the spectators. The floor of the arena ahead was made of a durable yet flexible material and was seamlessly integrated with an advanced holographic projection system. This system allowed the surface to transform into any imaginable terrain, from rugged landscapes to urban cityscapes, in order to add even more excitement to the matches, but also to provide a training for real life situations. Surrounding the arena were towering walls covered in full display monitors that allowed the audience to see the fights up close and personal if they were seated too far away. Not only did these screens show the fights, but they also had information about the combatants mana levels which proved helpful in predicting who would win.
It was honestly a marvel of human engineering, and it was all to watch people fight.
Jack walked out onto the arena floor as Mike fiddled with some buttons on the side. With no warning what so ever, part of the arena floor parted and a platform began to rise. It rose slowly, with smoke gushing out the sides.
"woah threatrical" Jack murmured to himself.
Turning to face Mike, Jack asked.
"What are we doing here?"
"The best combat training is live combat, so get ready"
"Ahhh shit"
Upon the platform lay a small grey form, it mewed slightly before rushing at Jack, but with chains to hold it back, the little monster had no chance of getting to him. It was almost cute. Its fur seemed soft despite it being a monster. Its eyes, whilst filled with the desire to kill, almost seemed to hide a sense of intelligence behind them. On the tip of its tail lay a flame, despite making it ever more deadly, it almost made the creature cute.
"Right this is a level 3 Ember Fox. Probably one of the weakest Abyssal beasts you can find in the wild. Good luck!"
With a simple press of the button from Mike, the chains were released and the fox came barreling towards Jack. It's grey ashen fur shone under the fire that rose from not only its tail but from its maw aswell. Tendrils of flames dripped from its open mouth as it dove with the intent to devour Jack.
Jack was frozen. He couldn't move. As he watched the beast charge towards him with graceful form, all his memories of that night came rushing back to him, almost as if he was transported back to that time.
The lights haphazardly hung from the ceiling after being torn into by the monstrous Hell Hound that had broken in. They flickered menacingly, illuminating the gory scene around. Before the 8 year old Jack was a massive beast, easily three times the size of a normal human. Blood dripped from its maw as it silently stalked towards him. Its claws tore into the concrete ground below as it moved, revealing the true strength of the beast. Its red eyes burned with hunger for human flesh, unperturbed by the idea of killing the child that was Jack. Despite already feasting on the corpses of the other people around, it was not satisfied. Beasts were never satisfied.
But Jack was not alone. His parents, though bloody and beaten from the explosion of debris that came with the beast's arrival, were still alive. Jack watched them nod at each other before his mother darted towards Jack in an attempt to get him away. His father rushed towards the Hell Hound with reckless abandon, his only intent to save his family. With a mere swipe of its claws, the beast tore through his father's weak body. His intestines and stomach came out of their meaty shell as his body flew across the room. But he was not dead yet and he could not allow the beast to get to his family.
Blood soaked his body, covering him in a viscious film of gore, and yet he persevered. Jack watched his dad pick up the very organs that trailed out of his torso and run again towards the beast. But sheer perseverance was not enough to stop the beast. As he sprinted and screamed at the beast with fury only a father could muster, he took one final look at his family before being ripped in two. The Hell Hound no longer put up with the foolish actions of Jack's father and two him asunder. His legs kept moving as his spine was ripped away by the fangs of the evil beast, extinguishing his life.
At this point, Jack was in his mother's arms as they ran down the hallway of the safety bunker, but they were not fast enough.
His mother had been hit by some of the debris and her calf was broken. The milky white bone stuck out from the red flesh as they ran, tearing away more and more muscle with every movement.
The beast was coming.
It barreled down the hall with sheer animalistic greed as it watched potential preys attempt a futile escape. There was even a hint of glee at the hunt within its fiery red eyes. Jack slammed to the floor as his mother tripped and fell on the shattered remains of her calf.
Her eyes full of tears she whispered to Jack.
"Go son"
Jack ran. Tears streamed down his face as his mum lay helpless on the floor. Within seconds of his escape, screams erupted from behind. His mother's screams. Hearing the wails of his mother as she was slowly eaten alive made his skin crawl and his body shake. Every time there was a break in her screams, a sickening crunch of teeth through bone brought back even more. Looking back as he ran, Jack saw a scene of pure grotesque artistry.
Her blood was sprayed along the walls painting a Picasso of gore. Her outstretched hands slamming against the tough stone like skin of the beast so hard her knuckles were the milky white color of bone. She fought against the beast with everything she had. Yet she was powerless. The monster kept toying with her, tearing away chunks of flesh bit by bit just to hear her scream. A sadistic light entered the beasts eyes as it picked up the rest of what was left of her shredded body in its maw and began sprinting towards Jack. He watched his mother's dying body hang loosely from the mouth of the demonic beast, flopping up and down like a macabre puppet tied to the jaws of its savage puppeteer. He was helpless.
Just as the beast was about to reach him, Jack was brought out of his memories by a fierce pain in his side.
Looking down, the fiery fox had latched its flaming jaws onto his abdomen and was busy tearing the skin from bone. Through the pain, Jack looked at the fox. It was not big. It was NOT strong. It was a mere fox, it could never scare him like that hell hound did. He was not helpless against it. No. He was the one that would kill and slaughter, not the Abyssal beast.
Willing mana into his hand, more ants erupted from his skin showering his body in rage and blood. Their mandibles clicked in anger and without even a thought from Jack, all 25 of them leapt onto the fox. Filled with ire, they tore apart the monster's eyes as it held onto Jack's skin with its teeth. Now that he was not simply a human, he could beat this beast.
Swinging downwards with all his might, Jack slammed his fist into the face of the fox. Its fiery maw burned through the skin around his stomach, but he did not care. With the force it was attacked with, the beast was forced to detach and erupted into flames. The ants on its body were immediately destroyed by its fire and no longer caused it nuisance. Its eyes were red and blood seeped out of the little chunks that the ants tore through, but it was not over yet.
Jack screamed as he pounced on the fallen fox.
Its flames continued to burn his skin but he did not care. His rage consumed him. He felt nothing but pure and utter rage at the tiny beast. Jack's fist pummeled the tiny fox into the ground, its bloody corpse rising and falling with every blow.
Its brains splattered across the ground, drawing a conclusion to the beasts life. But Jack did not stop. He kept hitting. The screams of his mother still lingered in his head as the smush of his fist against the fox's mangled corpse rung out.
Even when he heard the familiar DING of an increase of level, or the second one of a new skill, he did not stop. He kept hitting. He kept destroying. He kept savaging the beasts corpse until it was merely a pile of blood and fur.
"Fucking hell Jack"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
LonelyBoyXoXo
LonelyBoyXoXo might have accidently released 3 chapters today, my bad
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